Central City Detention Center.
Under the gray-blue sky, the tall building exuded a sinister and cold aura, and the surrounding barbed wire sent chills down one's spine.
Jiang Mianmian frowned, feeling as if her feet weighed a ton, each step a struggle.
"If you don't want to go, then don't go." Huo Junyu put his arm around her shoulder, sensing her unease. "Someone like her doesn't need to..."
"Let's go see her," Jiang Mianmian said, her eyes lowered. After all, they had been through so much together, and those real memories couldn't be easily discarded.
Even now, Jiang Mianmian still prefers to believe that Lu Ran is sick rather than that she is truly evil.
Huo Junyu tightened his grip on her shoulder slightly, and walked inside with her with firm steps.
The two met, separated by a transparent partition. Jiang Mianmian saw the iron gate open, revealing a thin and aloof face behind it, with a hint of indifference in its eyes and a smile that seemed to be both mocking and fearless.
Lu Ran, dressed in coarse cloth, had cut her once long hair into a short bob, and sat opposite me like a soulless puppet.
"Ranran." After a long silence between them, Jiang Mianmian finally spoke first.
“I…” She took a deep breath and said softly, “I brought you some things. They’ll be delivered to you after the prison guards check them. It’s all food and supplies. If you need more…”
"Of course not enough." Lu Ran sneered. "Sister, what use are these things to you now?"
Jiang Mianmian's heart tightened.
Lu Ran raised her hand and shook the shackles on her hands, making a heavy sound.
"Is it nice?" she laughed. "I'm already so grateful for such a wonderful gift from you, how could I possibly accept anything more from you!"
"Lu Ran," Huo Junyu said, his face darkening, "Don't be so sarcastic. If there's nothing important, Mianmian and I will be leaving now. I was going to stop her today, but she insisted on meeting you. Just because you're her sister!"
“If you keep talking like that, I can take back what she gave you, and I can assure you that you won’t have a good time in there! You’d better think it over.”
Lu Ran bit her lip. Huo Junyu's sharp gaze, like that of a hawk, cut her face like a knife.
She lowered her head, rubbing her hands together as she clutched the hem of her clothes, but the resentment in her heart wouldn't go away.
She hadn't been sleeping well these past few days, plagued by nightmares and anxiety, her dreams filled with memories of her time with Huo Junyang. But happiness was fleeting, like a shooting star; in the blink of an eye, she saw Cheng Suyue jump off a cliff, her body shattered to pieces!
She often woke up screaming from this dream, and after waking up, she would sit alone on the bed, biting her lips until they bled.
If it weren't for Pei Nian, how could she have lost her mother?
If she had continued to pretend to be Lu Xiaoyou, how could Jiang Mianmian have returned to the Lu family?
The world is just so unfair; kind people never get rewarded!
She is now trapped in this dark and sunless place, all thanks to Jiang Mianmian and Pei Nian!
"Ranran?"
She heard Jiang Mianmian's voice and suddenly looked up.
Jiang Mianmian was startled by the sinister glint in her eyes.
“Sister,” Lu Ran’s voice trembled slightly as she said with a cold laugh, “How have you been lately? Your daughter… what’s her name?”
Huo Junyu preemptively said, "This is none of your business."
"Brother-in-law, don't be so hostile towards me." Lu Ran smiled. "After all, I almost became your sister-in-law."
Huo Junyu's face grew increasingly gloomy.
“Sister, I’m meeting with you for no other reason than to remind you of something.” Lu Ran looked at Jiang Mianmian, “You have a daughter now, so whatever you do, think more about your daughter.”
Jiang Mianmian frowned. "What do you mean by this?"
"Sister, are you going to keep Pei Nian by your side any longer?"
A hint of mockery flashed in Lu Ran's eyes.
This expression made Jiang Mianmian very uncomfortable.
"Sister, I've been having nightmares lately... Do you remember the ship we were abducted to? That's where we met Sister Hong."
"You still remember Sister Hong, right? That human trafficker! Haha!" Lu Ran laughed eerily. "She also had another identity: Pei Nian's mother!"
"Have you had enough?" Jiang Mianmian said sternly. "If you called me here just to spout this nonsense, then let me tell you, I don't want to hear it!"
As she stood up to leave, Lu Ran's hysterical and vicious voice came from behind her: "You keep her by your side like a treasure, but have you ever thought that she is Pei Hong's daughter! The daughter of a human trafficker!"
Jiang Mianmian paused, her back stiff as she turned around.
The prison guard stepped forward and grabbed Lu Ran's shoulder, but Lu Ran acted as if she had gone mad, her eyes slightly red, and the corners of her mouth curving into a mocking arc.
“My father is Lu Ming, I have Lu Ming’s blood in my veins, I’m a bad person!” Lu Ran shouted hoarsely. “Ha… But what about her? Her mother is a human trafficker, she has human trafficker’s blood in her veins too!”
"Sister, don't blame me for not warning you, you must be careful of your daughter! She might already be her target! Hahaha..."
Jiang Mianmian's eyes widened, her heart pounding with panic. Her fists clenched slightly, and her face gradually paled.
No mother could bear to hear such words.
"This is absolutely insane!" Huo Junyu shouted angrily, waving his hand at the warning signal.
But Lu Ran had a strength she didn't know she possessed, and neither of the two female prison guards could pull her back inside the iron gate.
She continued to gesticulate wildly: "Sister, watch out! You were abducted when you were little, separated from your mother, and this kind of ordeal will continue to befall your daughter! If you keep that person by your side... haha, you know the consequences yourself! Your daughter may not be as lucky as you and survive the shipwreck!"
"Stop talking! Shut up!" Jiang Mianmian covered her ears, trembling with anger.
She turned and ran outside. The place was cold and oppressive, surrounded by high walls and iron fences, making it even harder for her to breathe.
Huo Junyu chased after her, took Jiang Mianmian into the car, and hugged her tightly inside.
He gently stroked her back; her trembling little body pained him.
“It’s alright, don’t be afraid,” he whispered. “Just think of it as being bitten by a mad dog, and don’t take her words to heart.”
Jiang Mianmian nodded with tears in her eyes.
She suddenly remembered the story of Sleeping Beauty. On the princess's full moon, an uninvited witch cursed her at the banquet, saying that when she came of age, she would prick her finger on a spindle and never wake up.
She took a deep breath and tried her best to calm herself down.
"It's alright, honey." Huo Junyu comforted her, and also reassured himself. "We'll take good care of Yuan Yuan, and she'll always stay by our side."
Actually, he was also afraid.
He never believed in these things before, but ever since he had his daughter, even a curse has become a thorn in his heart, keeping him from finding peace.
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